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The table on page 72 gives the number of cases notified
under age groups.
Smallpox
There were 70 referrals for supervision of possible smallpox
contacts who had arrived in this country from locally
infected or declared endemic smallpox areas and who were
reported to be proceeding to addresses in Hounslow. All
these were visited and kept under surveillance for the
required period.
Cholera
Anyone entering the country without a valid cholera
vaccination certificate must be kept under surveillance for
5 days from the date of leaving an infected area.
Information regarding these people is telephoned or
telegrammed to the department from the Port Health
Authorities. By the end of the year 11 such notifications
were received. All these were visited and kept under
surveillance for the required period.
Whooping Cough
There were 4 cases notified compared with 36 in 1971 and
30 in 1970. Of these 1 was under the age of one year.
Vaccination records show that none of the notified cases
had been immunised.
Measles

The 223 cases notified in 1972 were the lowest
recorded, 47% of the notifications were of children under
5 years of age and 48% were in the 5-9 age group.
Dysentery
There were 37 cases compared with 14 cases in 1971.
Typhoid fever
There were 3 cases notifed, one was a boy aged four who
had recently returned from a holiday in India. The second
was a boy aged one year who was born in the Middle East
and was brought to this country at the age of ten months,
his father was found to be a chronic carrier. The third case
was a 22 year old woman who had not been abroad and
despite extensive epidemiological investigations the source
of infection was not discovered.
Infective hepatitis
A total of 58 notifications were received of which 13 were
children aged 5-14 years and 5 were children aged four
years.
The West Middlesex Hospital and the London Boroughs
of Hounslow, Ealing and Richmond are undertaking a three
year prospective survey of all suspected cases of hepatitis
in the three boroughs with financial support from the
Department of Health and Social Security.
Food poisoning
Although 55 cases of suspected food poisoning were
notified, after full investigation only 22 cases were
confirmed. The causative organisms were as follows: —
Salmonella Agona (6) Salmonella virchow (1)
Salmonella typhimurium (13) Salmonella panama (1)
Salmonella oranienburg (1)
Of the 33 remaining cases notified (29 sporadic and 4
cases in 1 family) all laboratory investigations proved
negative.
Medical arrangements for long-stay immigrants
Long-stay immigrants were asked to give their destination
addresses at ports of arrival and these are forwarded to the
medical officer of health. All the addresses situated in the
borough were visited by health visitors or public health
inspectors who advise the immigrants on how to use the
national health service.
Destination addresses in this borough were given by
1504 immigrants but in 670 cases it was found that the
immigrant had not arrived at the address given.
Fever hospital
The borough is served by the South Middlesex Hospital but
on occasions accommodation in other fever hospitals may
be used. During the year 11 patients from the borough
were admitted as suffering from or suspected to be
suffering from infectious disease. Close contact is
maintained between the hospitals and the department of
health so that any necessary action can be taken without
delay.
In accordance with the Public Health (Infectious
Diseases) Regulations, 117 admissions to the South
Middlesex Hospital of persons residing outside the borough
were referred to the department in addition to those living
in the borough.
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